Who knew that William Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" would lend itself so well to the rom-com milieu of the 1980s? Impact Theatre takes "Midsummer" on a wild ride through '80s music, the fads and even a movie reference or two to raucous new heights. Or should I say radical?

Impact's version of "Midsummer" follows the original plot but interjects occasional new lines of dialogue to update the language ("all right," "dude"). Pink leggings-clad Hermia and androgynous Lysander love each other, but prepster Demetrius loves Hermia too. Girl-next-door Helena longs for Demetrius' attention, and that completes the web of who loves whom. Except once they get into the forest, the fairies have their way with the mortals until both men love Helena, and Hermia's left out in the cold.

The best part about this performance is that Impact places the play in a new context that does not seem forced or unnatural. Shakespeare's written comedy thrives in the '80s nightclub, but the casting of each character into an '80s staple (punk, metalhead, goth, prep) makes the show even more clever. Puck, the most mischievous fairy, jumps onto the stage as a Sex Pistols song plays. He's bleach-blond, dressed in a black safety-pinned shirt and tight black jeans. He swings around off the ceiling and then takes a swig of beer from someone in the front row. It makes sense.

The set lacks a certain finesse, but let's just say that Shakespeare didn't have much scenery to begin with either. The walls are painted purple and a bar stands upstage. To make the switch to the forest, a tree is revealed, painted on the wall behind polka-dotted paper. With a stage this small, though, there's not room for much else. It's a tad unimpressive, but thankfully, the actors and their costumes demand your attention-as you like it.

As with most things '80s, the fashion is this production is fascinating. Demetrius earns a chuckle from the audience the moment he turns to speak and rightfully so: khaki pants, a striped polo shirt with the collar popped, hair gelled back, oversized glasses and a huge, boxy cell phone prototype. Lysander wears an outfit with an effeminate poofy white shirt and black boots. Under the one eye not obscured by his long bangs, he has a red heart drawn on his cheek. It's as if "Labyrinth"-era David Bowie (minus the codpiece) and the Cure had a love child.

Overall, the cast comes together for a solid performance. The leads are captivating and even the supporting characters are a riot. With the ragtag band of actors, the play-within-a-play at the end is a hilarious climax. Bottom steals the show in her overly zealous acting, complete with a paper moustache and goatee. Snug, still in his "Ghostbusters" shirt, transforms himself into a lion with an orange feather boa wrapped around his head. Playing the wall, Snout reads off his lines from inside his cardboard box. Flute dons a hideous blond wig for Thisbe's part and recites his lines awkwardly. By this point, the audience is roaring with laughter.

Director Melissa Hillman has truly crafted a great show in retelling Shakespeare's tale. The production is nostalgic and mocking without being kitschy, funny and silly without being kooky. The adaptation speaks to the timelessness of Shakespeare and the possibility to entertain and amuse an audience of all ages, regardless of their fondness or knowledge of the bard. Not only that but this is an impressively fast Shakespeare, clocking in at a smidgen over two hours. Not that you'd count the minutes anyway.